Someone who is aware of a mortal sin should not consume the Eucharist. However, in this case if there is an intention to confess the sin asap I think a reasonable exception can be made.

I would not take that approach....a person who has in fact committed a mortal sin ought not receive...one does not do a sacrilege to avoid undo a sacrilege (not speaking of those who are struggling with scruples...see your regular confessor and follow his direction) ....but I do not know that even a person who is not conscious of mortal sin ought to "self communicate" (though I imagine an immediate threat to the Host is present that might be an exception).... contact the local Priest or perhaps even take it to the Priest.

PS: the Eucharist by nature can not "be a possession" ....cannot "belong" to anyone.

I would not take that approach....a person who has in fact committed a mortal sin ought not receive...one does not do a sacrilege to avoid undo a sacrilege (not speaking of those who are struggling with scruples...see your regular confessor and follow his direction) ....but I do not know that even a person who is not conscious of mortal sin ought to "self communicate" (though I imagine an immediate threat to the Host is present that might be an exception).... contact the local Priest or perhaps even take it to the Priest.

To consume the Host in this situation would not be to receive Jesus in Communion, nor to self communicate. The purpose would be to properly dispose of the Sacred Host.

To consume the Host in this situation would not be to receive Jesus in Communion, nor to self communicate.

Sure it would. It cannot be otherwise. The Eucharist is Jesus Christ. I understand what you are seeking to say here...that the point is to protect the Eucharist from sacrilege. But it would still be receiving Jesus in Holy Communion...and I do not see that one ought to do such oneself...outside perhaps what I noted above.

Sure it would. It cannot be otherwise. The Eucharist is Jesus Christ. I understand what you are seeking to say here...that the point is to protect the Eucharist from sacrilege. But it would still be receiving Jesus in Holy Communion...and I do not see that one ought to do such outside perhaps what I noted above.

You already have had a priest to tell you that it is OK in this situation. Your not understanding it does not make it the wrong thing to do.

You already have had a priest to tell you that it is OK in this situation. Your not understanding it does not make it the wrong thing to do.

Huh? I have not had a priest tell me any such thing....(though perhaps somewhere in life such a conversation may have occurred....I do not recollect such...)

Anyhow ...again I still think that one ought to contact the local pastor etc. As I said I can see the point if there was some immediate threat of sacrilege etc...but if I found say a host in the pew ...or someone showed me a host he had brought back as a "momento"...I would adore Christ and contact the local Parish Priest....(cell phones are great )

In any case--whatever the discipline of the Church would say to do...do.

This is a serious matter. In a parish I used to belong to, they were having trouble with mistreatment of the host. They found them used as book-markers in missals in the pews, given to babies, and lying out on the lawn of the church. I even saw a deacon chase down someone who had just received a host from him but did not consume it right away. A few homilies a year would reduce a lot of this.

I urge you to immediately - if you are yourself in a state of grace - consume it (ideally, if the person was not looking). If they get angry, you can explain that this is a monstrous sacrilege, even if they didn't realize it.

I don't mean to set myself up as an "officer" at mass or anything, but I do keep my eye out somewhat, and once or twice I have told the priest about somebody who walked away with the host (another reason to ban communion in the hand, if you ask me - not that these things are completely prevented by communion on the tongue, as the story of at least one Eucharistic miracle makes clear. Speaking of which, you could give them a book on Eucharistic miracles. Perhaps they would start returning to Church).

Sure it would. It cannot be otherwise. The Eucharist is Jesus Christ. I understand what you are seeking to say here...that the point is to protect the Eucharist from sacrilege. But it would still be receiving Jesus in Holy Communion...and I do not see that one ought to do such oneself...outside perhaps what I noted above.

I'm sorry, but this makes no sense.

1) The person is hardly likely to let a strange priest into their home to take their souvenir

2) There is no honorable place to store the Eucharist in the meantime while you wait for a priest to show up.

3) You probably don't have a cyborium on you to honorably transport the host with you to the parish, so that's out of the picture.

The answer is, as our priest friend has stated, to consume the host. If you are not sure of your state of grace, I would suggest summoning up an act of perfect contrition and handling "business" so that the abused host need not remain in an unworthy position one moment longer than it has to.

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For those of you from the old greenspun forum ~paul h

1) The person is hardly likely to let a strange priest into their home to take their souvenir

2) There is no honorable place to store the Eucharist in the meantime while you wait for a priest to show up.

3) You probably don't have a cyborium on you to honorably transport the host with you to the parish, so that's out of the picture.

The answer is, as our priest friend has stated, to consume the host. If you are not sure of your state of grace, I would suggest summoning up an act of perfect contrition and handling "business" so that the abused host need not remain in an unworthy position one moment longer than it has to.

Amen, brother! Great answer.

This is really serious, though. Please try to get there and consume that host ASAP.